#copied_post
"Not to discourage you from using and applying the verse from the scripture but to make you aware how not to read, interpret and apply the verse."
Verses Taken Out Of Context
Matthew 7:7
“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.”
By this point in the article, you should be able to guess that this is not a prosperity gospel verse and that Jesus is probably not telling us that all we have to do is ask him and he will give us whatever our hearts desire. This verse is smack dab in the middle of the Sermon on the Mount—the famous sermon Jesus gave during his ministry. He’s just finished talking about all the ways to become righteous. Knowing this, we can figure out what he’s talking about here in verse 7.
What are we to ask for that it will be given to us? The context tells us over and over that our goal is true righteousness, from the heart (Matt. 5:6, 10, 20; 6:1, 33). We ask to become like Jesus! We ask to grow in the areas he has just addressed in the previous verses. What are we seeking that we should find it? We are seeking Jesus! What will be opened to us? His righteousness.
We can be assured of this when we look back at the beginning of his sermon, when he starts with the Beatitudes (otherwise known as blessings). What kind of people are blessed: those who seek selfish desires or those who seek Jesus? He gives promises with each blessing, and not one of those blessings comes with a promise of an earthly, material gift. So, if you start to question what you should ask for—what you should seek—read Jesus’ whole sermon and see if your desires line up with what his Word tells us he wants for us.
~ Emily Richardson
.png)
.png)
0 Comments